Hi new 240/260z owner with lots of questions :-)

Crazirob

New Forum User
Hello so I have inhertited a 240z from my wife's uncle who wants me to restore/ use it to its full potential and get some fun out of it, I must say I am quite excited about the car, running the plate I found that it has been of the road since 88 and that it is a 260, that's a year longer then I have Been alive, the only way that I can see to check the model from most research is the block number on the drivers side of the engine,

Either way it is a RHD, manual, and I must say I'm looking forward to getting my hands on it plans are pretty simple to start with, get it safe, service, get it running, a front fender/spoiler , with some nice classic JDM style wheels and a rear spoiler and some lowering springs/ coil overs. And then just enjoy the car it could need a lot more then that after sitting for 28years, but have been told that the body was good when it went it and the engine had just been rebuilt before it as parked up and forgotten about, ideally I would like updated brakes, from another car if possible? S13/ S15 ?

A few things I would like to know, are parts readily available for these, I can only find most things from the states, I.e repair panels, wings floor pans etc ?

Also who are the good company's to use with parts for these cars ?


I restore and build race engines for classic mini's in my spare time, make them go from 42hp to 118hp, with torques curves to match, so I have been doing a little research and it seems like not many people tune the L engine, ? How comes ? More are converted to sr20dett/RB25/RB25neo/RB26

I finally see the car tommorow so insult know what I'm up against anything I should look out for ??


Many thanks apologies for all the questions :thumbs:
 

uk66fastback

Club Member
Rust.

The engines on these are very tuneable and you've been doing Minis you know your way round the mechanics it sounds like.

Mr F (on here) is the man for the parts. Or places from the States - there aren't (m)any more places I know of in the UK that do parts as their main business. I'm all ears though ...

Interested, like others, to see some pics if you can put some up ...
 

Crazirob

New Forum User
Rust.

The engines on these are very tuneable and you've been doing Minis you know your way round the mechanics it sounds like.

Mr F (on here) is the man for the parts. Or places from the States - there aren't (m)any more places I know of in the UK that do parts as their main business. I'm all ears though ...

Interested, like others, to see some pics if you can put some up ...


Anywhere in particular they go ? I know all the bits with a mini but not on a Datsun :unsure:

From what I understand the 260 has just a longer stroke, and a lower compression ratio! Of about 8.3:1 why don't people turbo the old L series engine ?
 

johnymd

Club Member
Welcome.

Assess the rust before you start spending money. If rust really gets hold then it's often terminal. Places to look:

Bulkhead, a line about 8" down from the top and where it joins the inner wings.
Strutt towers, 6" up from frame rails.
Frame rails in engine bay.
Top of air tubes in front wheel wells.
Bottom of front wings at the back and front.
Doglegs behind door and inner wheel well.
Sills where dogleg joins.
Rear wheel arches.
Around bumper area on rear quarters.
Rear hatch slam panel either side.
Rear hatch bottom lip.
Door bottoms.
Floors, all over plus the floor stiffeners.
Bottom corners around front and rear screens.
Around top of front screen.
Scuttle panel 6" in from each side.
Front of inner sills.

These are the common places you will often find rust. If it extends to the various seams then it gets harder to repair. Lots of these cars were bodged up as they were of little value so repair will often need doing again. The shell is the most important thing with these cars as everything else is relatively cheap and easy to fix, unless your planning a full nut and bolt restoration in which case you will spend a lot.
 

samuri-240

Well-Known Forum User
Anywhere in particular they go ? I know all the bits with a mini but not on a Datsun :unsure:

From what I understand the 260 has just a longer stroke, and a lower compression ratio! Of about 8.3:1 why don't people turbo the old L series engine ?

N/A is the best way to go if you wish to keep the car salable. Engine swaps or turbo's seem to make them very unsalable if you needed to get rid, unless it was the fabulous M3 engined car that I believe is not for sale at any price.
 

richiep

Club Member
Welcome!

Everything Johny says. Plus, re: the point about the L series engine, plenty of people tune them. In fact, the engine swaps are very few and far between in reality. L series engines can be tuned very effectively. 200-250hp in a NA Z is pretty quick, so don't get into thinking you need 400hp plus.

Deal with part #1 first though - the shell...
 

Crazirob

New Forum User
Thank you for all your comments already ! Looki forward to it, to be fair I was only asking as a matter of interest my mini engine i run a compression ratio of 12.1 anything lower that 9:1 would normally be blown, in mini's,

First of all like you say I will look at sorting the shell, I don't even know what condition it's it in , I could be taking it home with a dustpan and brush! But will see tommorow, main plans for it as above, low, with tidy arches nice when's and just enjoy it :)
 

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
Thank you for all your comments already ! Looki forward to it, to be fair I was only asking as a matter of interest my mini engine i run a compression ratio of 12.1 anything lower that 9:1 would normally be blown, in mini's,

Of course it would be because they have so much less cc - a well-breathing L28 even on twin SUs will give you all the fun you'll need.
 

Crazirob

New Forum User
Evening gents !


So I saw the car today, and I must say, Not as bad as I thought,

Initial inspection I can gather it needs 2 front wings, bonnet (possibly salvageable) 2 sills and 2 doors now after looking at it, turns out not only is a 260 it's a 2+2 I'll be honest I was hoping for the coupé but it is what it is, I had a look around chassis seems ok, passenger footwell also, couldn't get to the drivers side to look as too close to the wall and keys located about 50 miles away

Never the less here are some photos

25 years of dust and abandonment









Under the hood doesn't look too bad :)



Now for the ugly bits
Firstly wings are shot




This is wing, door, sill


Bit of light surface rust on the rear






I would like some honest opinions of if it is too far to me doesn't look like it but, like I said I'm not to sure on these, really I will need to get it out and assess the rest of the car,

I am struggling to find someone that makes sills, (it needs 2 complete panels) either metal or fiberglass wings, and door skins if they can be re-skinned

Many thanks

Robbie
 

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
Run away.....! Seriously unloved car - anything is saveable but count upon 'losing' money in it. If money is no object and the emotional tug is too strong - you'll get her back on thr rroad.
 

uk66fastback

Club Member
Well, others may chime in, but I think you're going to have your work cut out with this one should you decide to save it and try and get it on the road again.

Sad though it may sound, you're better off selling it as a parts car or parting it out yourself ... I cannot see this would be in any way viable money-wise to spend the time and money on.

As you're finding out, some of the panels are VERY hard to come by and if that is the state of the sills/wings/door, then the floors will 95% be shot to pieces, they may not look it but wait until you can get in the thing and find out how much weight you can put on them. They're guaranteed to be as crusty as hell ...

This car might realise a lot of parts though so I'd be looking in that direction for sure. Help keep some others on the road.

Would be nice to get the keys and roll the old girl out but I don't think you'll find there is much you can do - have a look through some of the restoration threads on here to see how much rust can take control on these cars, the metal is SO thin it's a joke!

Not been taxed since 1988!
 

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
2+2s are harder to find panels and most other bits than 2x seaters and ironically although probably rare are worth less £-wise.
 

chunk

Im not normal
Club Member
Hey Robbie,

Rich here off Facebook. After seeing the above pics I'd agree with the above aswell. I agree with UK66fastback, that possibility parting it out (dependant on emotional attachment) would be the most cost effective solution.

I'll have a chat with you at next Wednesday's meet if you like.
 

IbanezDan51

Well-Known Forum User
You could maybe store it away in hope the rot wouldn't get worse and the value of 260z 2+2's goes up... One day it might be worth saving... It isn't currently.

I've been there with probably the worst condition early 240Z on here (am I wrong?) and I wouldn't ever contemplate doing such a car again.
 

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
Yeh, it might seem a romantic project to get an old unloved classic car back on the road but you are better spending your time on something else.

Better to know now than later on.

If often surprises me when people say 'it doesn't look too bad' and then you see pictures of severe rot.

You are wise to ask for opinions - probably the best move you could make, well done.
 

toopy

Club Member
Sadly 2+2's although rarer, especially in the UK, are not currently and unlikely to ever be as desirable as the 2 seater's.
Rarity doesn't automatically equate to desirability, as Im constantly reminded of.

Mine was pretty rusty underneath, chassis rails, floors, sills, front crossmember, inner wings, and it looked from the outside in much better shape than your pics! luckily my rear wings were fine, not even surface rust, yours on the other hand are almost guaranteed to be rotten on the inner areas.

As has been said, unless there is real emotional attachment to the vehicle, it really does appear to be a scrapper, worth far more in parts :( i spent £16,000ish on mine 12 years ago and its probably still not worth that yet on the open market!!! extremely annoying but hay ho, i wanted the 2+2 so there it is.
 

Farmer42

Club Member
I would agree with all the other comments.

I have a 2+2 and would give me no greater pleasure than to see another on the road but that is too far gone. You haven't even said that the engine turns over and the gearbox & diff are ok or that the boot floor and tailgate are ok.

The one saving grace is that they are quite rare and because they are supposedly not so desirable, the money is not in selling new parts for them so secondhand parts are also rare. You would probably make quite a bit from parting it.

Shame:(
 

richiep

Club Member
As above, parting out is the only sensible strategy. Even if it was a 240Z, in that condition, you'd be better served by salvaging the bits for a RHD conversion of a Californian import rather than trying to resurrect it.

In fact, the RHD parts of that car (rack, pedal box, bulkhead parts if salvageable, etc.) might have some value to someone with a US 260Z or maybe early 280Z import looking to convert?

Whatever, I'd be parting out or looking to move it on as a parts car. :(
 
Top